


slipping through the hourglass home

by oceanicspirit



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Dimension Travel, F/M, Fluff, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 07:21:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18686782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oceanicspirit/pseuds/oceanicspirit
Summary: he thought the exchanging of the Soul Stone worked both ways





	slipping through the hourglass home

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back with another fix it fic, though I'm putting a bit of a spin on it. Working in the whole different alternate realities and some transdimensional and soulmate au mixed right in.
> 
> I also wrote this because it just popped into my head as I watched Endgame for a second time. 
> 
> Song title taken from "Hourglass" by Lifehouse
> 
> Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of any characters used
> 
> SPOILERS AHEAD, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

_Vormir_

He chose to go to Vormir last. He didn’t know why, maybe it was because a part of Natasha’s soul rested inside of the Soul Stone. He didn’t want to say goodbye to her just yet. Maybe it’s because he wanted to keep her by his side a little bit longer.

“Steven Rogers, son of Sarah.”

The voice sounded familiar to Steve, it was until the face was revealed that shocked the soldier.

“Red Skull? I thought you were dead.”

“As you can see Captain, I am not dead. The Space Stone rejected me and casted me onto this planet as punishment. It is my duty to guide those who seek the Soul Stone, or in your case, return it.”

The founder of HYDRA silently guided the super soldier. Taking the final step Steve felt his throat tighten. He was returning the stone before Natasha sacrificed herself. Maybe if he kept it, he could prevent her death. Still, he knew the repercussions if he didn’t return the Soul Stone. So he walked towards the edge and then looked down.

_What did you feel when you fell Nat_

_Were you scared as you sacrificed yourself?_

_Why did you leave me?_ _  
_“If I return the Soul Stone….would she come back?”

“It is uncertain Captain Rogers, no one has ever returned the Soul Stone.”

It was a bet he was willing to take. He brought his left hand to his mouth and gave a gentle kiss on the Soul Stone. “See you in a minute Nat.” Dropping the stone, Steve was met with a blinding light.

A gasp left his lips as he woke up. His heart pounding as he looked around.

_God please be here_

His blue eyes scanned the area, but she wasn’t there. His heart crushed at the fact that _his_ Natasha would never return. He fell on his knees and cried.

“She was supposed to come back. A soul for a _fucking_ soul.” Anger and pain filled his body. “Why Nat, why did you have to do it.” His cries echoed into the air. Steve blindly reaches for his device and sets the coordinates.

*****

_New Jersey 1970_

Steve has no idea where in New Jersey he is. He knows he’s far away from Camp Lehigh, but it doesn’t matter, he wants to enjoy the silent walk. The soldier finds himself looking at a lake, the area itself is quant and peaceful. He thinks he could raise a family here….his heart aches at the thought of it.

“Maybe I should get a life,” he muses to himself. He could start over from the beginning.

“You must definitely be thinking; ‘Maybe I should get a life, after all….where else am I gonna get a view like this’?”

Steve turns around at the voice. It’s familiar to him and his eyes widens. _She’s_ standing next to him, a few inches apart and the moment she looks at him, his heart swells.

“Natasha?” He can’t believe that she’s here with him. “I don’t understand…..I _thought_.”

“I’m not her,” she gives him a small smile. Steve gets a good look at her, she’s wearing the quantum suit and she has the time device on her. He looks at her eyes and notices the pain in them. His own pain reflecting back at him. “I’m not _your_ Natasha.”

It’s some cruel joke that the universe is playing.

“I don’t understand.”

She looks back at the lake, “In my reality, you sacrificed yourself for the Soul Stone. I returned it but _my_ Steve didn’t come back, just like your Natasha didn’t.”

“So how’d you know I’d be here?”

Natasha shrugged, “I didn’t….but I _felt_ like I should.” She smiles and laughs softly. “Maybe this is the work of our other selves.”

“We both lost each other in our respective realities,physically yes, but….”

“Our souls didn’t,” Natasha finished. “I guess the souls of our alternate selves led us here….to each other.”

“See you in a minute,” Natasha looked at Steve with a confused look, “that’s what my Natasha said before we departed,” Steve pushed down the sob that was threatening to come out, “it was the last thing she said to me.”

“That’s what my Steve said too,” she smiled. Steve looked at Natasha as she held his hand. “But you know what your Natasha and I said all those years ago? At Peggy’s funeral?”

“What?”

“We didn’t want you to be alone.” Steve felt tears in his eyes. “Maybe your Natasha up there with my Steve.”

“And maybe they guided us here because we’re supposed to stick together,” Steve squeezed her hand. “Maybe we were supposed to get a life…. _together_.”

“Together,” she smiles back, “the soldier and the spy huh?”

Steve gives her a gentle smile, “I like that.”

*****

Bruce started the countdown into bringing Steve back. Something was wrong and Sam demanded that he bring Steve back. Bucky felt something and looked, spotting an old man sitting on a bench.

“Sam,” he called, “Sam.”

Sam stood next to Bucky not believing what he was seeing. Bucky urged Sam to go on.

“So did something go wrong or did something go right?”

“After returning the stones, I thought I’d try some of that life that Tony had.”

Sam smiled, “I’m happy for you...truly.”

Steve smiled back and reached for the bag that was next to him, he opened it and inside was his shield. “I want you to try it.”

Sam was shocked but then slipped the straps on.

“How does it feel?”

“Like it’s someone else’s.”

“But it isn’t.”

“I’ll try my best.”

Steve nodded and grabbed Sam’s hand. “Thank you Sam.”

The newly appointed Captain America noticed a ring on Steve’s finger. “So you wanna tell me about her?”

Steve grinned and Sam knew that it was dubbed ‘the shit eating grin’ that Natasha mildly put it. “I don’t think I will, but we did manage to get a place in Brooklyn.”

“That great huh? I’m happy for you and Peggy.”

“Who said it was Peggy?”

Sam tilted his head, “I thought….wait, she’s…”

“The universe works in many mysterious ways Sam. We found out that we’re not alone in this world, how is finding out that there are other different realities any different?”

“Was it hard? Adjusting to the fact that she wasn’t _your_ Natasha?”

Steve let out a chuckle, “I don’t think it was hard at all. We never really thought of each other any different. I guess the moment we found each other, we fell back into that same familiarity we always had, no matter what reality we came from. Nothing really changed between us, except we were given a second chance to be together.”

“Man you guys are the definition of soulmates,” Sam laughed and shook his head. “So where is she?”

“She decided to stay home….with the baby.”

“You really are full of surprises.”

Steve grinned and patted Sam’s arm. He got up and walked to Bucky.

“So is this the end of the line for us?”

The blonde smiled and placed a hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “For now it is, but I’ll be sure next time to bring James with me when I come back.”

Bucky stiffened and felt tears in his eyes, “You mean?”

“You’ll be happy to know that I’m getting a taste of my own medicine.”

“You little punk,” Bucky pulled Steve in for a hug.

Steve softly chuckled, “Jerk.” Stepping back Steve set in his coordinates and left.

*****

_Brooklyn_

Steve grins as he hears a beautiful laugh echo in the house. Opening the door he finds himself in the kitchen and leans against the wall. Peanut butter marks all over the small child’s mouth as his mother feeds him.

“Look who’s home James.”

Green eyes light up at the sight of his father. “Da!”

“So how’s dinner?”

“As you can see, a bit of a mess.”

Steve grins and sits next to their son. “He’s got peanut butter all over him Nat,” he laughs. James giggles and reaches for a small piece of peanut butter sandwich and shoves it in Steve’s face. “Thanks sport, time traveling works up an appetite.”

Natasha was done setting James to sleep as she headed towards the living room. She raised a brow as Steve stood in the middle of the floor, the record player on, and her husband had a boyish smile.

“Ma’am,” he held out his hand.

“Hi,” she smiled and took it.

The couple gently swayed in time with the music. Despite the two being from different realities, their souls still managed to find one another like they were meant to be. Allowing them a second chance at a romance that was once denied to them. Some would say that the soldier and the spy were destined to be, perhaps.

But in all realities, they were soulmates.


End file.
